Will You
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: Fluff story. Jane and Maura are already in a relationship, and Jane decides to change things.
1. Chapter 1

**This is nothing but gratuitousness fluff. I can't even say there's much of a storyline here in the sense that I ordinarily do storylines. The other story I just finished up was so heavy that I wanted to do something lighter, and this is what I've got. I'm posting this as I write it. Characters aren't mine. They belong to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, Turner Broadcasting (TNT), and Warner Brothers (WB).**

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><p>"Hey, Maura," Jane sat on the doctor's sofa, leaned back to stretch her full length across the cushions, "Come here. You've been working on that paper for that journal thing for three hours now. Don't you think you should take a break and let your brain rest?"<p>

The doctor smiled. One of the many things she loved about her detective was the other woman's way of forcing her to take breaks. "I'm all most finished with this paragraph. Let me complete my thought, and I'll take a break."

Jane sounded doubtful. "Promise?"

"Baby, please, let me just finish this. I promise I'll cuddle with you on the sofa once I'm done with this paragraph, okay?" The doctor sighed and turned back to her notebook.

"Fine," came the grumbled response as Jane turned her attention back to the book she was reading.

A few moments later, Maura's hand plucked the book from Jane's and set it down on the coffee table. "You look comfy."

"I am. You should try it out. It's called _relaxing_." The detective smirked. "I can give you lessons. You in?"

Maura pretended to consider it. "What's involved?"

"First, you have to lie down with me." Jane moved to lie on her back, facing the ceiling and then motioned for Maura to lay on the sofa so the doctor lay on top of her, back to front. "Good?" Honey brunette curls tickled her face as Maura nodded yes and sighed at the feel of Jane's arms wrapped around her. "Now, close your eyes. Are they closed?"

Maura chuckled. "Yes, they're closed."

"I want you to remember something with me," the detective said, voice quiet and soft next to the doctor's ear. Maura nodded in response. "Remember the first time we met?"

Another chuckle escaped Maura. "Yes, I told you to step out of my light so I could properly process the scene."

Jane smiled. "Do you remember what I said?"

"As I recall," Maura said, humor lacing her voice, "you said, 'Who is this chick, where's the ME, and why are you wearing high heels to a crime scene?' Then you rolled your eyes and demanded that I identify myself. You clearly had not been reading your interoffice memos."

"Hey, I was busy doing other stuff, like catching the bad guys," they laughed, and Jane placed a light kiss on Maura's neck. "Did I ever tell you what I was actually thinking the first time I saw you?"

"No," the doctor frowned, "you never did. The only thing you've ever mentioned about it is that you were irritated that no one had told you I was the new medical examiner because everyone knew you had a tendency to not read memos."

"That's what I have _you_ for," the detective gave the woman in her arms a little squeeze.

"Not at the time." Maura frowned, eyes still closed as she thought aloud, "I have often wondered how you managed to obtain information regarding the internal happenings of the department prior to my arrival. If your habits when I did arrive were any indication of how you normally operated, it's a wonder you knew about anything outside of the cases you were currently working."

"I didn't. In fact," the doctor could feel Jane's left arm move away from its hold on her as the detective talked, "before you came along, I didn't really pay attention to _anything_ outside of the case I was working on unless Ma forced me to, and, even then, I wasn't really there mentally. I was still working the case. But, I don't know, there was something about you that made me stop and refocus, and, the next thing I know, I'm paying attention to what operas are playing on Friday nights and whether or not I have wrinkles in my suddenly tailored suits."

A smug smile graced the doctor's face. "I'm glad I could be a positive influence on you."

"Yeah," the detective said, trying her hardest not to sound as amused as she felt, "we'll go with that. _Anyway_, back to my thoughts. I was telling you what I thought when I first laid eyes on you." Her left arm found its way back to Maura, rewrapping around the other woman. "I was thinking, 'Oh my God, she's… she's… holy crap, she's gorgeous, and I have no freaking idea what I just said to her. _She's_ the new ME? Not good… really not good. I'm going to be distracted all the time. Wait, _why_ am I going to be distracted all the… holy shit, her legs are just… _why_ am I thinking about her legs? This is crazy! I just met this chick, and she's… really, really pretty and I'd really like to… I'm not gay, I'm not gay, I'm not gay…"

Maura tilted her head, smug smile still in place and eyes still closed. "From the moment we met, I had you questioning your sexuality?"

"Pretty much," Jane sighed. "I mean, looking back on it, the whole thing is a little crazy. I didn't know you or anything about you, and all I could think of from the moment we left the scene until I went down for the autopsy was getting to see you again. Honestly, sweetie, you had me at 'Detective, you're standing in my light. Move, please." Again, they chuckled before Jane's voice dropped into a more serious tone. "That was five years ago today, did you know that?"

"I hadn't realized that, no," the doctor turned her head, opening her eyes to meet the dark brown ones looking down at her. "I've forgotten about our anniversary, haven't I?"

"We've both been really busy." Jane shrugged. "Between the deadlines for this article you're writing and the double homicide, things have been hectic, so I'm not mad. Besides, we have that whole neat thing where our anniversary happens to be the same as the date we met, and how many couples can say that? I figure that, so long as I at least get a kiss tonight, we're doing good."

"Thank you," Maura replied gently before kissing her detective. "I did have plans for a gift for you. Perhaps I can…"

"I've got it covered." Jane nodded for Maura to look down at their interlaced hands. "I thought maybe we'd do something different for our 2 year anniversary."

A small, velvet box lay on Maura's stomach, just above their hands. "Jane?"

Pulling their hands apart, Jane opened the box and sat it back down. Inside was a stunning ruby ring set in a band of white gold and accented with smaller diamonds around the setting. "Did you know," Jane began as she held a suddenly shaking doctor, "that diamonds didn't become the standard stone for engagement rings until about the 1930s? Before then, people used all sorts of stones, and, in the Middle Ages, some women carried sewing thimbles instead of wearing rings?"

At the quiet in the room, Jane cautiously continued, "I always thought that a diamond engagement ring just didn't fit with what I thought about when I thought about forever, you know? It's just too commercialized to me to really mean anything anymore. To me, marriage is about love, devotion, integrity, courage, vitality and happiness, and it just so happens that is _exactly_ what a ruby represents. It's a pretty amazing stone, historically speaking. It's the stone that warriors going into battle would implant under their skin to bring them valor on the battle field, and some people wore them in talismans to ward off danger and disaster. Royalty traditionally used them as opposed to diamonds in their engagement rings, and rubies are supposed gather and increase energy, bring light, contentment and peace into your life. There are even legends that say rubies are able to reconcile lover's quarrels. Apparently, if true love's course isn't running all that smoothly, the ruby in the engagement ring will get darker, and, combined with white diamonds like the ones in this ring, a ruby engagement ring symbolizes life, love and commitment." She moved her hands to pull the ring from the box. "I think all of that is a much better symbol than a diamond for everything you are to me because, Maura," she said as she motioned for them to sit up, "You are and bring all of those things to my life."

Slowly, Jane moved to kneel in front of the now silently crying honey brunette seated on the sofa. "You are what I think about when I go out on the streets and into battle each day, and the thought of you brings me valor. You protect me. You _are_ my princess, my bright light, and, no matter how bad the day, you can make it better again simply by being nearby. You bring me peace, Maura, in so many ways. I can't imagine life without you." Taking the doctor's left hand in her right, Jane met Maura's eyes and asked with hope and sincerity, "Stay with me forever, and I promise I'll do everything I can to make you happy every single day. Marry me, Maura?"


	2. Chapter 2

**For those of you wondering, the information about rubies and ruby engagement rings are true. I did a little research ... for personal reasons ... a while back. :-)**

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><p>As the dark haired detective waited, her love's hand in her own and engagement ring held in trembling fingers, the doctor tried desperately to pull herself together enough to at least answer in words what she felt, but the emotion of the moment was overwhelming to the honey brunette, and they sat in the quiet.<p>

Very long moments later with a tear streaked face and voice rough from unspoken thoughts and emotion, Maura spoke, "Jane," she reached with her right hand to run a finger across the tense face of the woman kneeling in front of her, "when did you start speaking in Google?"

Of all the answers Jane expected she might hear, that was not one of them, and the surprise of the statement combined with tenseness of the moment managed to break the detective's already frazzled nerves. Leaning into Maura's touch, first she gave a harsh laugh and then a tear fell, "Maura," she said between quivering breaths, "since when did you answer with sarcastic remarks?"

Maura smiled and gave a chuckle, hand still on Jane's face, "I believe I picked that habit up from you a year or so ago. These things are difficult to pinpoint for accuracy, but, then again, statistics show that couples who have been together for long periods of time tend to adopt each other's habits. In fact, when they live together, studies have found couples in romantic relationships become even more similar in both behavior and appearance." She gave a chuckle. "I'm interested to see how we blend together once we're living together and married, aren't you?"

"I… uh… you," the normally composed detective stammered, brain desperately trying to catch up with the events unfolding. "Maura, are… are you saying yes?"

Dimples fully in play and eyes dancing, Maura gave a nod of her head, "Yes, Jane, I'll marry you."

Grinning, Jane slid the ring on Maura's finger before pulling her down for a kiss. "Ma is going to go off the deep end. You know that, right?"

Maura gave a thoughtful hum. "We'll hire a wedding planner and let them deal with Angela."

"Evil. I like that." Standing, Jane gave a heavy sigh. "It's Wednesday night, and you worked on that article longer than I thought you would."

"Well, to be fair, I didn't know you planned to propose to me. Had I known, I would have put the article off for a few hours," Maura responded with a smile as she stood up. "Stay here tonight."

"I plan to. Frankie has Jo tonight." She pulled the other woman into her arms. "This living in two separate places thing is getting old."

"Well," the doctor answered as she wrapped her arms around her detective, "that will soon be resolved. Perhaps we should start looking at houses?"

"Wait, you want to buy a house with me? But, Maura, you already own this one. I mean I could just move…"

Covering Jane's lips with the pads of her fingers, Maura shook her head. "No. This is _my _house, but I want a home that is _ours_. I want a place that you're just as comfortable in as I am and we create together."

Jane smirked, pulling back from the doctor's light touch to add, "With the help of your interior designer."

The doctor shrugged. "If you're comfortable with that, then yes. If not, I'm sure we can manage on our own."

"Let me think," Jane tilted her head in mock consideration. "Do we hire someone to take all of my stuff, a list of stuff we'd like, and all of your stuff and figure out a way to mix it together so it looks nice, or we do it on our own? Yeah, we're calling Blake."

Chuckling, Maura turned to head to the master bedroom. "I thought you might prefer someone else do the decorating. If we find a house we like, Blake and the movers can have everything moved and set up while we're on our honeymoon. Of course, we'll need to set a date first so we know what our timetable is."

"Really?" Jane trotted along behind. "How about a year from today. I mean, why mess up a good run?"

Maura stopped and turned around to face the taller woman. "You mean get married on August 22nd of next year?" At Jane's nod, Maura seemed to really think about it. "I think… Well, why not? You're right. We should stay with our habits; they've served us well so far."

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><p>"Maura, what is that on your hand?" Angela's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to Maura's left hand. The early morning was a slow time for the little café at the precinct, and it gave Angela Rizzoli enough time to stop and chat with the regulars. Unsurprisingly, two of the regulars were her daughter and her daughter's longtime girlfriend.<p>

"A ring," Maura replied, a smirk on her face as she looked across the table to Jane for help.

"What _kind_ of ring?" Angela pushed, clearly becoming more excited with each passing moment.

"It's a ruby ring, Ma." Jane smiled from behind her cup of coffee.

"I can _see_ it's a ruby ring, Jane," the elder woman snapped back, "but why is it on the ring finger of the left hand of the woman you've been dating for two years?"

Jane shrugged, carefully sat her coffee down and away from the edge of the table, and answered as nonchalantly as she could manage, "Probably because I put it there last night."

"_What?_" The exclamation from the older woman drew everyone's attention in the café. "Jane, are you telling me you finally proposed? Are you two getting married?" Angela's head turned quickly from one to the other of the two women still calmly seated at the small, round table.

"Well," Maura replied quietly, "we didn't actually say…"

"Yes, Ma." Jane shook her head no, indicating not to string her mother along. "I asked, and Maura said yes. We've set the date for a year from yesterday."

Angela was giddy. "There's so much to do! We have get invitations, and find a place, and make a list of guests, and…"

Placing a hand gently on her mother's arm to quiet her, Jane said patiently, "Ma, we got it. We're going to shop around for a wedding planner this week, and, once we find one, we're going to let them deal with the stress. Maura and I have enough stress with our jobs. We don't really need it coming from anywhere else."

"You are?" Her mother sounded crestfallen. "But, I always thought that I would help you plan your wedding."

"And you will. We're going to need help gather names and addresses for my side, and you know I know you're going to be there when we shop for dresses and tuxes for the wedding party. We're just going to let someone else deal with the details. Is that okay?" It was Jane's turn to give Maura a pleading look for help.

"We would never dream of not including either of our mothers in our wedding planning process. Don't worry, Angela. There will be plenty to do for everyone," Maura gave a reassuring smile. "I'm certain our wedding will become a newsworthy event, so we'll need to be sure everything is well coordinated, and that will take help from everyone to accomplish."

"Newsworthy?" Jane's voice sounded panicked. "Why would our wedding be newsworthy?"

"Jane," Maura raised an eyebrow in amusement at her detective's lack of understanding, "Not only are you a well-known Boston Detective who is highly decorated, the first woman in homicide, and the youngest detective on the force, but you're marrying the Chief Medical Examiner, who is from an affluent family here in Boston, top in her field, and the first female Chief ME Boston has ever had. I think the potential for a story writes itself. Add in the fact that we're both women, and I highly doubt the press will step away from such an easy to write and socially relevant story."

"Oh God, I didn't think of that. Maybe," the detective's flight of fight response was starting to kick in, "we could elope and just make an announcement after?"

Angela balked "No! Absolutely not."

"Ma…"

"Jane, I've waited too long for you to finally get married to be robbed of it because you're scared a couple of cameras and a news reporter. You chase killers for a living! A little article in the newspaper about you isn't going to hurt you." Angela looked to the honey brunette who was gently smirking. "Right, Maura?"

"Physically? No, it's not likely to harm you, Jane."

"I hate you both," Jane muttered before finishing her coffee. "This is going to be a really long year; I feel it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Instead of hashing out the details from proposal to wedding and thereafter, I've decided to advance the timeline to interesting parts between proposal to wedding, so there are timeline jumps. I'll try to make it clear how much time has passed so as not to confuse. I realized to day that I only gave myself a year to get them married with a new house and honeymoon plans, so... yeah...**

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><p>"Janie, it's been three months. Don't you think it's time to pick one?" Angela pointed to a lovely photo in the magazine sitting in her lap.<p>

"I'm not wearing a dress," Jane shook her head, eyes tense around the edges. "_Maura_ wears dresses. I wear suits. You've already made me agree to invite more family than I wanted to, made me agree to music I don't really like, and made me send an invitation to Pop. I draw the line at my clothes, Ma. _Maura_ likes how I dress, and I'm not dressing for _you_. I'm dressing for _her_."

"Why can't you be a girl?" Her mother's voice echoed around Jane's small apartment. "All I'm saying is that you would look a lot nicer in a wedding dress than a suit. Jane, this is your _wedding_. You only get one," the older woman flinched. "God willing, you only get one," she muttered before continuing on, "I don't understand why you don't want…"

"What you want?" The taller woman stood from her sofa and began pacing the living room. "Because I'm not you! I never wanted a huge wedding with a bunch of fanfare and whatever. All I've ever wanted is to be married to the person I love. That's it! A wedding," Jane stopped pacing and turned to her mother. "A wedding," she started again, this time more calmly and with a conviction that surprised Angela, "is just a ceremony. It's not the marriage. A marriage is the rest of my and Maura's life together, as a unit. A wedding is what happens to let everyone know that we are as committed to each other as we already know we are. A wedding is a _one_-time event, yeah, but what matters is everything that happens after that event and everything that brought us to that event."

Jane moved to sit on her coffee table, facing her mother. "Ma, I didn't ask Maura to marry me because I was daydreaming about pretty white dresses and flowers and a day that would make one of us or both of us feel like a princess. I asked Maura to marry me because, in my heart, I'm already her wife. All of this other stuff? It's just fluff, and the only thing that matters to me right now, or ever, is making Maura feel like the princess that she is to me. So, if Maura likes me in well-tailored suits better than a long white wedding dress, then that's what's going to happen. If I happen to prefer it, too, then it's an added bonus. Make sense?"

For a long time, mother and daughter sat quietly and regarded each other. Finally, Angela took in a deep breath before speaking in a more rational tone. "Sometimes I forget," she said, voice a little brittle, "that you like to look at the big picture and what's happening down the road more than at the stuff that is happening right now." Slowly closing the bridal magazine, the older woman stood up, picking up her things as she did so. "You really don't want a big wedding?"

"No, Ma, I don't. I want a small wedding with people who actually know us and love us. I want to say my vows in front of people who understand everything Maura and I have gone through and know our convictions are strong. I don't care what my second cousin on Pop's side thinks. I don't care what my great Aunt wants. I don't care about what _anyone_ wants or thinks but Maura, and, even though she doesn't have the heart to tell you because she loves you, she wants a small wedding, too." Jane stood up, following her mother to the front door. "We don't need a lot. We don't want it."

Angela stopped at the door, turned to her daughter, and placed a hand on her cheek. "I know, sweetie. I just want you to have everything, and I want you to be happy. You tell Maura that it won't hurt my feelings to have a small wedding, and," she turned to open the door, "You call me when you go suit shopping, okay?"

"I will," Jane held the door open. "Thank you."

"I love you. I'll see you at work tomorrow morning," Angela called out before leaving to go outside.

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><p>"You look like hell," Frost said as he sat a cup of coffee on his partner's desk. "Wedding plans beating the crap out of you?"<p>

"Happy Monday morning to you, too," Jane glared at him before taking a sip of her coffee. "Ma and I had a come to Jesus moment last night." She rolled her eyes. "I don't really want to talk about it. You got anything on the Murphy case?"

"A whole lot of nothing," he answered with a grimace. "I was hoping the tox screens would be done by now. I hate having to wait three or four days for those results. I mean, it takes me _two_ seconds to find a picture of a dancing duck online using my smartphone, but _three_ days to get tox screens back. Our priorities for technology are messed up, if you ask me."

"To be fair, Barry," Maura's bright voice made Jane grin despite herself, "there was a backlog in the lab. Besides, you can't rush science. Precision is very important." She stopped at their desks with a folder in hand. "That said, the results came in this morning for the Murphy case," she handed them to the junior detective. "Please let me know if you have any questions."

Smiling, Frost took the folder and eagerly started flipping through it. "Thanks, Doc."

"Of course," she answered before turning to Jane. "You look unwell. Did you not sleep last night?"

"Not really. Ma and I had a … conversation. By the way, she says it won't hurt her feelings if we have a small wedding." Jane glanced to Frost to see if he was listening, but he seemed immersed, so she kept talking, "Frankly, I know I hurt her feelings, but I just couldn't take the nagging anymore. I'm sorry, Maura. I know you didn't want me to fight with Ma about all of this."

"Well, if you won the battle regarding the size of our wedding, I think I'll let it slide this time," the doctor's voice was clearly relieved. "I'm glad you're here. I was wondering if you were busy during lunch today?"

"Not unless we find another lead. Why?" The detective frowned. James Murphy's killer had eluded them for nearly a week. The trail was cold, and she was sure it was going to go unsolved. Those cases bothered her deeply. Knowing a killer was out there that could strike again because she wasn't good enough to put the pieces together always made her feel like a failure.

As if sensing the internal dialogue, Maura leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Jane's cheek. "I know you're doing your best," she whispered before standing up again. "If you're not busy, there's a house I'd like for us to go see today. We can pick up something to eat on the way."

"Sure," Jane nodded, eyes dull from the mental beatdown she'd just given herself, "Call me when you're ready and I'll meet you at the car."

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><p><strong><strong>**Thank you for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

"We need a house, you need a suit, I need to find shoes, and we need to find something to do about your father," Maura clicked away at her laptop, taking notes, as the two women sat in her living room discussing the checklist of things to do prior to their wedding. "Gloria has done a wonderful job with everything, and she brought by the flower arrangements for the reception tables yesterday while you were following a lead. I think we've done well to go with the simple red and white rose combination. It looked stunning. I sent you a picture. What did you think?"

Jane pulled her phone out and flipped through text messages. "Hold on, and I'll tell you. I've been busy with this… oh, here it is," she pulled the screen closer and narrowed her eyes. "It's beautiful. Do I want to know how much one arrangement costs?"

"No, probably not, but do you like it? _That_ is the crucial question." Maura stood up to walk over to the sofa where Jane had taken up residence as she looked over case notes. Carefully moving a stack of photos to the coffee table, she sat down next to the detective and leaned over to look at the photo. "I'm glad you suggested red and white as the color for the wedding. It suits us both."

"Yeah, well, I like seeing you in white." Jane set her phone down and turned to the other woman. "Or, you know, nothing at all," she smirked, giving a little wink.

The doctor smiled, dimples on full display. "I could say the same for you and red," she purred as she leaned forward to kiss her fiancée. "So?"

"Mmmm," Jane leaned back, pulling Maura on top of her. "I think that if you like, then I like it. I don't really care, Maura. I just want to be married to you."

Snuggling down, the doctor took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell that was purely Jane. "Eight months. Are you ready?"

"For the wedding? No." They chuckled as Jane ran a hand in soothing motions up and down Maura's back. "To be married to you? Yes, very much yes." She kissed the crown of honey brunette hair before her. "I've been thinking about houses, too." At the doctor's sound of interest, she continued. "I'm thinking a four bedroom with a front and backyard, master suite upstairs, privacy fence, and a pool."

"Four bedrooms?" Maura was clearly puzzled. "That seems like a lot for just the two of us and the pets. Are you looking to give us each an office to work in as well?"

"I was thinking a guest room, an office we both share, and room to expand the family when we're ready." Jane's voice was slightly tense as she finished her sentence.

Much to her relief, Maura nodded. The doctor's voice was warm as she answered with a question to the unspoken conversation they'd just had. "One, two, or more?"

"I know it might sound weird, but I just want one. I mean, I liked having siblings, but I didn't like how my parents had to divide their attention between us." Jane gave a heavy sigh at the memories of her childhood. "I also didn't like the pressure put on me as the oldest to set an example. I don't think it's fair to the oldest child to have that kind of built in pressure from society. Our child will already have a hard enough time with two moms without having to deal with other added pressures."

Maura pulled to sit up and really look at the other woman. "You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Jane followed, sitting up and facing the other woman. "I want forever with you, Maura. To me, that means a family one day, too."

"Would you consider adoption?" This time it was Maura's turn to sound uncertain.

"Yes," Jane reached forward to take the smaller woman's hand. "In fact, I might even insist on it."

Maura nodded, a tear slipping down her face. "They'll never want for anything. They'll never feel lonely or as if they don't belong or unloved or…"

"Maura, you'll be an amazing mother." Jane wiped the tear from the doctor's face. "When we're ready, we'll look into adoption, okay?"

The honey brunette gave a little nod of her head, voice small as she glanced up. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Now," Jane's tone changed as she tried to change the subject, "tell Gloria to order those arrangements, and go do whatever else you need to do in the planning while I try to figure out who shot Candice DuBois. I think I've got something going on here. I mean, it's _right there_. Just… smack me in the head or something if you need my input. Sound good?"

"That sounds perfect," Maura answered, a small smile gracing her features as she stood to return to her place at the dining table. "We could always build a house."

"Are you _trying_ to go broke? I mean, I know you insist on us sharing funds, but…"

Maura interrupted the old argument. "It might actually be cheaper in the long run as we could put in energy saving features."

Jane sat quietly for a moment, lost in thought. "Think they could get it built in eight months?"

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><p>"The stitching detail in this vest is amazing," Jane said with awe as she held the satiny red material up to get a closer look at the hand stitched black thread creating intricate patterns across the cloth. "It must have taken months to do this kind of work."<p>

"It's really pretty, Maura," Angela agreed as she watched her daughter with a quizzical eye. In all the years of shopping with Jane, she had never seen her take an honest appreciation in how clothes were made, let alone the detail work on them. "And that red is a perfect match to the one in the wedding."

"Yes, I saw the color in the window of the bridal shop last week. I thought it would be worth it for us to stop by today, and it looks as though I was correct." The doctor, too, watched Jane with fascination. It was clear the detective was having a moment of appreciation for the aesthetics of the clothing, and it made her happy to see Jane display something she normally kept hidden. "Jane, would you like to try the suit on?"

"Yes," came the quiet almost reverent answer. "This pattern," she turned to Maura, "it's Celtic, isn't it? A Celtic Knot, right?"

Trying to hide her surprise and delight at Jane's recognition, Maura answered lightly, "Yes, it is."

Jane's face broke into a smile, eyes shining, "I think I'll go try this on." She stood up, quickly striding over to the dressing room, salesclerk at her heels with the rest of the suit in hand.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm losing my Italian daughter to the Irish?" Angela joked as she watched Jane slip into the changing room.

Maura simply smirked.


	5. Chapter 5

"Rizzoli, what are you looking at? Floor plans?" Korsak loomed over Jane's desk, bagel in one hand and coffee cup in the other.

"Yes, and step back before you get a coffee stain on it or something," she looked up, daring him to do anything to stain the paperwork.

He stepped back but kept poking at her. "What's it for? Is that part of the case you're working on? I don't remember anything about needing to see floor plans."

"It's _for_ me," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm on lunch, Korsak, and I promised Maura I'd look these over while I took a break because we have a little less than eight months to get this done."

"Get what done?" He popped the last of the bagel into his mouth.

Holding back a moan, Jane answered slowly so as not to snap at her former partner, "Getting our house built. These," she motioned to the floor plans sprawled across her desk, "are the plans for the house we're having built. See here?" She pointed to one large, blue page. "This is the first floor. We're planning a large kitchen with an island and a breakfast bar, a dining area, and a living room in an open floor plan. On one side," she pointed as she spoke, "we're going to have a guest bedroom, an office, and a small bathroom, and, on the other, we're going to have a bedroom with an attached bathroom." She moved the papers so that she was pointing to the second large, blue page. "Upstairs is the master bedroom and bathroom with a walk-in closet bigger than my whole apartment is right now."

"Not even close, Jane," Maura's voice cut through the sarcasm. "Are you finished looking over the floor plans?"

"Yeah, I am. I like it, and I also like the two car garage. It'll make it easier to hide my crappy car," she winked as she handed over the rolled up floor plans.

"I happen to like your car," the doctor remarked as she took the plans. "I'll call Craig and tell him the design is fine and to proceed with coordinating with the contractors to start laying down the foundation. We'll need to meet with Jordan to start discussing the interior as well, and she'll want to see both of our homes to decide what and how to integrate what we have already and our differencing styles." It was clear that Maura's mind was humming away with detail work. "We may also want to start thinking about landscaping as well. I believe Joshua …"

"Marriage, house, honeymoon, _then_ landscaping, okay?" Jane stood up and kissed Maura on the cheek. "I have to go. I've got half an hour left on lunch and I'm supposed to go in to get the suit checked. This fitting thing is way more complicated than I thought it would." She pulled her jacket off the back of the chair and put it on as she talked. "I'm thinking black high heels to go with the suit. What do you think?"

"Oh, yes, I think that would do perfectly." Again, the doctor's mind whirled with thoughts. "I believe I have a pair that will work. The ones with the red soles you like so well? The red on the soles will complement the red of the vest nicely. Have you found a white Oxford to wear under the vest?"

"Still working on it. I figured you and I could go shopping this weekend and just kill that off." Jane glanced over to Korsak who had been standing quietly by watching the scene. "You want something while I'm out?"

"I'm good. Are you really wearing a suit to your wedding?" He made a face. "I figured you'd wear a dress."

"Well, you figured wrong. It's a three piece, black with a red vest." Jane picked up her keys and popped her phone onto her belt. "I might run a little late. Mr. Chu sometimes takes longer than I think he needs to feeling me up."

"Jane! He _is not_ feeling you up. He's _pinning_ the suit to get a proper fit. Honestly," Maura rolled her eyes.

Korsak gave a grunt and nodded his understanding. "Got it. I'll call you if something comes up."

"Thanks." Again kissing Maura on the cheek, Jane took off for the door. "Later."

* * *

><p>"Maura, I've looked over the photos of the wedding dress you've purchased," Constance Isles' voice sounded warm as she spoke. Despite the fact it was a phone conversation with no visual clues to give, it was clear the older woman was pleased. "I think you've done a wonderful job choosing a dress for the occasion, as usual."<p>

"Thank you, Mother," Maura smiled as she leaned back against her headboard, relief clear in her posture. "When will you be able to fly in to see it in person?"

Constance's tone was slightly annoyed as she answered, "I'm coming to see _you_ in two weeks, if that's acceptable?"

Maura frowned at the sudden intonation change. "Of course it is. Shall I pick you up at the airport?"

"No, I plan to rent a car for the week." Her mother paused for a beat, considering. "Maura, I hope you know that it is perfectly acceptable to want me to come to see you. There needn't be a reason other than you miss my company or I yours."

"I didn't mean to imply otherwise." The honey brunette closed her eyes as understanding crept into her mind as to what her mother was annoyed with. "I _do _miss your presence, Mother. Though it's nice to have Angela here and ready to be helpful in her own way, I wish that you could be here more to assist with the planning. I… it would be lovely for you to be more involved in my wedding plans. I value your input."

"Angela is a bit rough around the edges, isn't she?" The directness of the comment threw Maura, and she chuckled before she could stop herself. At the sound of her daughter's reaction, Constance continued in a more congenial tone, "Don't misunderstand me. She is a very lovely woman, and it's clear she dearly loves both you and Jane very much, but she certainly does not have the same taste in things as we do."

"No," Maura shook her head despite having no one in the room to see her, "she does not."

"You're not afraid Angela and I would cross each other too much if I were there to assist you with the wedding plans?" There was a hint of unease in Constance's voice.

"We have a wedding planner, Gloria Tullman. She's wonderful, and she's been handling Angela so well I may send Gloria on a cruise as a personal thank you once the wedding is over. However, despite Angela's many _helpful_ suggestions, Jane has essentially told me that she wants the wedding _I _want. I believe her exact words were something along the lines of, 'You have taste, and the last thing I want is a tacky Italian wedding. Ma's great, but let's be a little refined about this, okay? I don't want to look back on our wedding day and cringe."

Her mother laughed. "Your fiancée never ceases to surprise me, Maura."

Again, Maura smiled. "I shall take that as a good thing."

"Please do," Constance sighed. "I'll make arrangements and fly in next month instead of in two weeks. I can take everything off my plate by then and can remain in Boston and essentially duty free until your wedding. Is there anything you'd like for me to bring when I come back into the states?"

Her daughter closed her eyes, holding tears of relief at bay. "No, I'll simply be happy to see you here."

"I'll be there soon, darling, and I promise to follow your lead and simply assist with whatever goals you and Jane are trying to accomplish. I remember planning my wedding with your father. There is enough stress without me adding to it. Between then and now, you may call me if you need to talk."

"Thank you. I shall. Have a good night, Mother."

"Sleep well, Maura, and try not to worry too much. Things will turn out fine."


	6. Chapter 6

"Jordan returned my call," Maura said as Jane strolled into the Medical Examiner's office. "She said Blake had a very pleasing solution to our quandary regarding our bedroom."

Jane stopped just beside the doctor and looked down at the honey brunette looking up at her. "I thought we were going Tuscan with texture. Did you change your mind?"

"No, not exactly. I just felt it was a little dark and wanted to add some brightness to the overall feel," Maura smiled brightly. "Blake suggested we have a few potted plants on our bedroom. I like the idea. What do you think?"

The detective smirked as she watched her fiancée's eyes dance with excitement. "I think," she said as she bent over to lay a kiss on the doctor's lips, "that whatever you want to do is fine with me as long as you keep all of my gadgets."

"On good! I'll call her and tell her to go ahead with the plan." Practically dancing in her chair, Maura pulled her phone out. "Jordan is the best assistant Blake has yet to have. I do hope he doesn't run her off as he has the others. He can be _so_ demanding at times," she commented as the phone rang.

"I can't imagine," Jane deadpanned as she stood up again and waited for the phone call to come to an end. "Listen, Craig called. He said everything is running smoothly with construction. They're calling in the electricians tomorrow, which is great. That means it won't be too much longer before Black and Jordan can tackle actually decorating. Is Constance going to supervise them? I… I think I'd feel better knowing _someone_ was with them as they work. I mean, no offense. I know Blake's worked with you for years, but, you know, there's a lot going on, and I trust your mother's judgment."

Maura's smile beamed. "Yes, I'll ask Mother tonight. I'm certain she'll be happy to help when the time comes. She's been so wonderful these past four months. I honestly don't know what I would have done without her. Between planning the wedding, the house, and our jobs, I feeling slightly overwhelmed."

"I know what you mean," nodding, Jane turned to leaned against the M.E.'s desk, crossing her arms as she did so. "Four months, Maura. Are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready for this to be over so we may move on with our lives." Maura stood, stretching a little before stepping in front of her detective. "I'm very excited about our honeymoon."

"Speaking of," Jane's smiled turned mysterious, "is it driving you crazy that you don't know where we're going yet?"

"A little," Maura conceded stepping even closer so Jane's hands could rested solidly on her hips. "However, knowing that we will need passports means I at least know we'll be leaving the States." She pouted as she placed her hands on the detective's shoulders. "Can I at least get a little hint?"

Jane's smile turned into a smirk. "Nope. You're just going to have to wait. You're planning the wedding. Let me take care of the honeymoon, okay? Trust me."

"Always." Maura leaned in to kiss the other woman, sighing as she pulled back. "Was there another reason you came down here, or did you just miss me?"

"Both," the detective chuckled. "I need the Anderson file, and I always miss you. Also," she said to keep Maura from making cooing sounds, "I wanted to know what you thought about an idea I had for the theme for the first floor."

"Oh, you finally came up with an idea?" Again, Maura's eyes danced with excitement. They had systematically gone through the decorating plans for their home, and, jointly, managed to decide on each room, but the kitchen, living room, dining room area had them at a loss. Nothing seemed to fit with the feel they wanted.

"Yeah, I was thinking maybe we could go with an Irish feel? You know white, light and dark greens, Celtic designs, and darker woods for accents. I think it could really tie the whole thing together, and I know we both like all of those colors, plus I think a lot of our furniture could be worked into that so we wouldn't have to buy a lot of new stuff. What do you think?"

"An Irish theme?" The doctor was clearly rolling the idea around in her mind, taking in different possibilities. "I'm confident Blake could come up with a very tasteful design based on that theme." Her smiled broadened. "I like it."

"Great. Call Jordan back, tell her the plan, and make sure she doesn't let Blake paint our stainless steel appliances green." Jane gave a squeeze to the tiny waist in her hands, indicating she was ready to stand up. "I have to go back to work, Maura. Where is that file?"

"Oh, of course," temporarily distracted by talk of weddings, home, and hearth, the doctor had forgotten they were in her office in the basement of the precinct. "It's filed away. Would like for me to get it for you?"

"Nah, I'll get it. See you after work? It's Dirty Robbery night." The detective headed to the door as she talked.

"Yes, I'll be late. I want to first ask Mother about supervising the interior design." The doctor sat down in her chair, watching the detective leave. For a moment, she paused to think over their conversation and then shook her head. Things were trying, but Jane had been surprisingly easygoing about the entire affair. It was reassuring.

With a sigh, Maura turned back to her screen to resume her day's work.

* * *

><p>"Of course, darling, I'm happy to do whatever you and Jane need. You know that. Blake and his assistant are very competent, but, if you both trust me to make decisions during the interior design process, I'm happy to do so." Constance sat at the island in Maura's kitchen, sipping on her tea. "Does Angela know this decision has been made?"<p>

"No, not as of yet," Maura flinched. Everyone had been careful to ensure Angela Rizzoli never felt left out of the wedding process or the processes of building the couple's new home. However, it would undoubtedly cause waves if Angela found out Constance was in charge of making such important decisions and she wasn't given something equally important to handle. "What do you suggest?"

Constance raised an eyebrow in thought. "Has Gloria made final arrangements on the reception?"

"I would estimate 90% of those plans have been finalized," her daughter answered, mind rapidly checking to make certain that estimate was correct.

Her mother nodded. "Perhaps Angela could make the decisions on the last 5% of those arrangements?"

"But what of the other 5%?" Maura shook her head, confused.

"I feel Jane would agree with me. Angela in charge of the last 5% is safest." Smiling gently, Constance finished the last of her tea and gently set the cup down. "Maura, have you given any thought to your surname?"

The change in topic further confused the young woman, who answered with the first thing to come to mind, "None at all. Jane and I are happy with our names as they are. Why do you ask?"

"I find it interesting that Jane chose a suit with a Celtic design on the vest and suggested an Irish theme for your home." With a tilt of her head to emphasize the point, she asked, "Don't you?"

"I honestly hadn't considered it." Frowning in thought, Maura went over the last few months to take inventory of anything Jane may have done or said that fell into the theme of the Irish. The checklist was expansive. "Would you or Father be offended if one of us changed our surname or we both adopted a hyphenated surname?"

"Your father and I have discussed this recently," Constance answered as she stood to take the empty tea cups to the sink to wash. "We feel that we would be very honored to have Jane carry our last name, and we would be equally pleased for you to become a Rizzoli. They are really very good people," she smiled warmly as she spoke, carefully washing the teacups and saucers as she did so.

Maura joined to rinse and dry. "I honestly don't foresee either of us changing our names in any way," she said, clearly rolling the possibility around in her mind. "I love Jane, clearly, but I'm happy with my name. I feel that, if Jane wanted to change her name, she would tell me."

"And if she _did _want to change her name?" Constance was clearly pressing, and it confused her daughter as to why.

"Well, I," Maura stopped, giving the question serious consideration as they finished the small amount of dishes. "I think I would like that very much."

"Mmm," Constance's intonation implied an 'I thought so' to her noncommittal response. "You should probably leave, darling. Aren't they expecting you at the Robber tonight?"

"You're right; I should go." The honey brunette leaned forward, placing a quick kiss on her mother's cheek. "Thank you, Mother. I'm so very glad you've come to help."

"You're my daughter, Maura. No thanks is needed. Now, off with you. Have a pleasant time with your detective and your friends."


	7. Chapter 7

"Janie?" Jane turned from her paperwork to see her father standing in the doorway to the bullpen. She frowned, glancing up to Frost who raised an eyebrow

Without a word, she stood up and walked over motioning for him to follow her as she made her way to the elevators. He followed behind, stepping off the elevator behind her and into Maura's office. The quiet entrance surprised the doctor who stood, head tilted in question, as the two made their way to center of the room.

"I'm not happy you're here," Jane stared without preamble.

"I'm not happy you're marrying a woman," her father answered with equal hostility.

"Then _why_ are you here, Pop?" The detective crossed her arms, shifting her weight. She could hear the soft click of Maura's heels as the honey brunette came to stand beside her.

He mirrored her actions, crossing his own arms. "Because I was invited."

"You saw my note. I only sent that invitation to pacify Ma. _You_ left us." Her breath caught for a moment as her anger overwhelmed her. "You just _left_ Ma; you left all of us without so much as a goodbye or even a real reason. I don't want you here. Go back to Florida and your younger woman."

"Is that why you're doing this? Are you doing this to get back at me?" Frank set his jaw. His eyes glanced from his daughter to the other woman and back again. "I came here to try to talk some sense into you. Your mother and I raised you better than this."

"Really? You flew all the way up here to tell me you don't approve of who I'm going to marry?" She rolled her eyes, voice becoming louder with each passing second. "You wasted your money and our time, Pop. Go home."

"_You're _wasting a lot more than that! How can you choose to be this way? We taught you right from wrong. We taught you…"

"How not to be a bigot, and I'm not, but you are. Go home, Pop. I mean it. Go home and don't come back." Jane unfolded her arms, wrapping one arm through Maura's. "Remember this moment because, when we have a child, you'll never see them."

"Jane," Maura's voice was quiet but harsh. "Don't say things now you'll regret later."

"Do you really want our child to be with a man who would leave his wife because of a midlife crisis and only come back home to tell his daughter not to marry the person she loves because the person she loves is the wrong gender?" Jane's voice was needle sharp as she spoke, and her eyes never left her father's.

"No, I don't." Maura shook her head. "It's best if you leave, Mr. Rizzoli."

Frank huffed. "You're not going to listen to a word I'm saying?"

"I think we've heard quite enough of what you're saying and implying," Maura answered. "You already knew Jane's wishes. I fail to see how you believe coming here would change her mind."

"Janie, please," he turned back to his daughter, "I know I'm no saint, but this is your soul we're talking about here. I can't just let you go off and do this without trying to save it. Do you really want your soul to belong to the Devil?"

"No," Jane shook her head, "I don't. But it doesn't matter. He can't get it anyway."

"Of course he can, and he will if you keep going down this road. We went to church, Jane. I know you remember what the Bible says. I know you know what the Church says. Why are you doing this? How can you do this to yourself?" He pleaded with his daughter, eyes begging her to listen to reason.

"Sorry, Pop," she answered, voice still sharp. "I don't have rights to my soul anymore, which means the Devil doesn't either. If he wants it, he'll have to go to the one that has it."

Her father stood still for a moment. Finally, he asked the question, "What do you mean you don't have rights to your soul? If you don't own it, then who does?"

"I do," Maura answered, a smile playing on her lips, "And I assure you it's in very good hands as my own is in hers."

"Oh, for Christ's sakes!" Frank exploded.

"Cursing, Pop? That's a sin," Jane shot back.

"You're ridiculous. I hope you realize this is a mistake, Jane. When you do, you know where to fine me." Frank stormed out of the office, opting to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.

"You can check dealing with my father off of the list of things to do," the detective sighed. "Two months."

"It cannot get here soon enough," Maura said, leaning against the taller woman. "You want to take an early lunch?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, let's go split something and then cuddle in the car for a little bit before we have to come back."

"Cuddle?" The doctor pulled away to look at the lanky brunette.

"I just told my father to leave my life forever, Maura. I need to be held, okay? That wasn't easy."

Again wrapping her arm around Jane's, Maura lead them to her desk so she could retrieve her purse and keys. "How about we just go back to your apartment and spend some time on the couch?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we're going to live here," Jane and Maura walked through the newly constructed and painted house. "This place is amazing."<p>

"It will be even more impressive once Jordan and Blake move our things into it, but there's some time until then." Maura smiled brightly as she watched her detective walk around inspecting various aspects of the first floor. The contractors had finally finished, the appliances were in, the security system fully in place, and the pool ready to use. The only thing the house was really missing was furniture, decorations, and inhabitants. "Joshua should have the landscaping done soon. I think he's doing a fantastic job, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I knew he would. Your house's front yard always looks great." Jane returned to Maura, who stood in the middle of the living room. "You always pick really great people to work with."

Maura smiled "Thank you."

"She gets that from her mother," a male voice said from somewhere near the guest bedroom. Jane pulled away, pulling her gun as she turned toward the voice. Doyle stepped out of the shadows, hands held up to indicate he was unarmed. "You don't need that. I came here to talk to you."

"How did you even get in here? We have the most sophisticated security system outside of Ft. Knox." Less scared than frustrated, Jane holstered her pistol. "I should arrest you."

"You should, but we both know you won't," he shrugged. "Maura, how are you?"

"Why are you here?" Maura's voice tensed. "Tell us how you found your way in."

"Every security system has a weak point, but I figured you'd ask me." He slowly pulled his jacket open so they could watch him as he pulled out a piece of paper from his inside pocket. "Here," he handed the paper to Jane. "That's the defects in this system and how to fix it. When I told you to keep my daughter safe, I meant it."

Jane opened the paper and skimmed it before handing it to Maura. Sighing, she turned back to the man quietly waiting in the shadows. "You said you came to talk. So talk."

"I noticed you took some extra precautions." He walked to the back wall where windows overlooked the backyard. Knocking on the glass, he smiled. "Bullet proof glass for the windows, security cameras…"

"I _will_ arrest you if you don't tell me why you're really here," Jane threatened.

"You should arrest him anyway," Maura said with disgust in her voice. "Why aren't you?"

"Because he keeps you safe." The matter-of-factness in Jane's tone left no room for doubt. The detective knew who had been watching over her fiancée when she could not, and she had no plans to remove that extra protection unless her hand was forced.

Maura balked. "I can take care of myself."

"No one can take care of themselves all the time, and enough people know who you are that you're always in danger. Maura," Jane turned to the smaller woman, "just once go with your instincts. Not all rules should be followed all of the time. You know what the files say. You know who he's killed, and you know what he's done to protect you. _Think_ about it."

"I… you do realize that the FBI will throw us in jail for a myriad of violations if they ever find out that we were this close to him and didn't arrest him, don't you?" The doctor sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I'm willing to take the risk if it means you're not in the crosshairs of a mob boss." Jane turned back to Doyle, crossing her arms and tilting her head. "Well?"

"I'm glad you two finally figured it out," he said, smiling gently. "I was starting to think you'd never get together at the rate you were going." He shrugged at their silence. "You're a good fit for my daughter, Detective. If I was going to pick from the ones she's dated and seen over the years, you'd be it. I think you're the only one that can take on her hardheadedness." He chuckled. "She gets that from me."

"I don't need your approval to marry Jane," Maura was clearly annoyed.

"No, but I'm giving it anyway, and something else." Doyle held his hand out, opening it so that a necklace fell from his palm and dangled on the end of his fingertips. "This was my mother's necklace, your grandmother's. She wore it for as long as I can remember." He held it out to his daughter. "I can't be at your wedding, but I wanted you to have this. It's a four leaf clover that my father had made especially for her. He said he told her that she needed all the luck she could get if she really was going to marry him. Turns out," he said, voice losing some of its humor, "he was right."

Maura looked to Jane and then back to Doyle. Stepping forward, she reached out to take the necklace, careful not to actually touch the man. She held it up to the light. A four leaf clover pendent was threaded through a thin, gold chain. It was obvious the pendent had been worn a great deal. The gold metal which covered the back and outlined the leaves and stem was scratched and dented. The leaves and stem were made of emerald, and the stones glistened in the light streaming from the kitchen area into the living room. The doctor sighed, "It's lovely."

"You would have like her, too," Doyle replied softly. "She's a lot like Angela, as I understand Mrs. Rizzoli to be." He glanced to Jane and interrupted her before she could say anything, "You're marrying into my family, Rizzoli. It means that your family is part of mine whether you like it or not."

"You were never here," Jane said as she plucked the necklace from Maura's trembling hands and stepped behind her. "We never saw you here," she said as she unfastened the piece of jewelry and lowered it over the doctor's head to clasp it around her neck. "I really wish you weren't on the Top 10, Doyle."

"I really wish you weren't a cop, Rizzoli," he said, smirking. "Get those holes in the security system fixed before you move in. The reference I put down on that paper, you can trust him."

"I'll take care of it," she said as she wrapped her arms around Maura. "We're leaving now."

"Welcome to the family," Doyle said as he stepped back toward the guest bedroom and disappeared into the shadows.

"The wrong father approves," Maura said quietly as they headed to the front door.

"I don't think so," Jane said as she opened it.

The answer puzzled the honey brunette. "How do you mean?"

"All my father can do is act like an ass. _Your_ sperm donor, however, could have me disappear without a trace. Frankly, I'd take his approval over my pop's any day of the week."

"Well, when you put it like that," Maura said as she slid into the passenger's seat of the car, "perhaps you're right. Sushi?"

Jane nodded, starting the car and pulling out of the garage. "Sounds good. I could use a beer, too."

Maura nodded. "Yes, so could I."


	8. Chapter 8

"How long will it take to get everything done?" Jane paced the Human Resources office, one hand on her hip and the other running across the back of her neck. "I mean, I go on vacation starting tomorrow, and the paperwork's already done. So will you guys have it all fixed by the time we get back from our honeymoon?"

"Yes, Detective," a very amused HR administrator sat in her chair watching the nervous woman pace. "You have my word that everything will be done by the time you return from your honeymoon. Consider it my personal wedding gift to you, okay?" She winked at the tall woman now standing directly in front of her desk.

Jane nodded slowly. "Lila, no one can know, okay? I don't want this getting out yet."

"I gave you my word. You know I'm good for it." Lila Smythe gave the detective a reassuring smile. "I'll have plenty of time to make all the appropriate arrangements while you and Doctor Isles are away. I _promise_ you that it will be totally completed by the time you return and _no one_ will know until you're ready. But it is absolutely _imperative_," she further emphasized the word by tapping the top of her desk with her pen, "that you call me _before_ you walk through that front door. I'll have to meet you in the lobby with everything. Got it?"

Chewing at her bottom lip, Jane nodded her understanding. "I've got your cell," she said as she double checked her phone. "God, I hope this goes over okay."

"Based on what I know," the admin said, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful look on her face, "I'm willing to bet that what you've done is perfect."

"You think so?" The uncharacteristic uncertainty in the detective's voice made the other woman raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Detective, if anyone can pull this off," Lila said leaning forward in her chair, "it's you."

* * *

><p>"Nervous?" Maura's smile beamed as she stood beside Jane's desk, looking down at the other woman.<p>

"My body is so tense its sore, I have a headache, and I've read this sentence six times. I still don't know what it says," the dark haired woman answered, annoyance clear in her voice. "I should just call it quits for the day."

"I already told you to go home, Rizzoli," Korsak called from his desk. "You've been worthless all day!"

"I had paperwork to finish," Jane shot back.

Maura sighed. "Perhaps we should go home? There's nothing left for me to do in the morgue, and I recall you telling me last night that all the paperwork you needed to finish would be done by noon today. Is it completed yet?"

Jane nodded, rubbing her eyes with pads of her fingers. "Yeah, I took care of it about an hour ago."

"So go home," Frost said, shrugging. "We got this, and Korsak's right. The last time I saw you this distracted was right after your first night with… uh… as a couple," he said with smirk.

"I hadn't realized you'd told them the specific date," the doctor said, head tilted and eyes narrowed.

"I didn't." A blush found its way to Jane's face. "They're detectives. They figured it out."

"I see." Maura tried and failed to suppress a giggle. "I suppose it doesn't matter. At this point, it ought to be a given that we have…"

"Okay, we should go home." Jane stood up, placing a finger over her fiancée's lips as she bent over to turn off her computer. "We could use the extra time to finish packing anyway."

The men chuckled. "Try to get some rest tonight, Jane," Frost said, eyes sparkling. "You two will have plenty of time for first night activities on your honeymoon."

"Funny," Jane shot back.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Maura gave a wave.

"Later you two," Korsak nodded his goodbyes.

* * *

><p>"Janie, you're here early for lunch!" Angela stepped up to give her daughter a hug and her future in-law a kiss on the cheek.<p>

"Actually, we came down to tell you we're taking off," her daughter gave a weary smile. "Korsak says I'm worthless, and Maura says she's done with everything, so we figured we'd go home and finish up."

Her mother nodded her understanding. "That's probably a good idea. Do you two want something to go? I could whip you up some sandwiches or maybe I could make you a quick salad?"

"No thank you, Angela," Maura gave a tense smile. "We'll be fine. I'll cook something for us once we're back at my house." She paused, considering something for a moment. "While we're here, I did want to make sure the move into Jane's old apartment was successful. We haven't had a chance to really talk these past few days."

"It was great! You were right about the new color on the walls. It's perfect with my furniture. Thank you for helping me with the move. Between work and everything else, I barely have time for anything anymore." The elder Rizzoli gave a little sigh. "It's nice to have my own place, but I miss having everyone around."

"We'll come visit, Ma, and Maura and I already know you'll be over a lot," Jane smiled, ducking her head a little. "We just assumed our new place would be a gathering spot."

"You're good girls," Angela said as she leaned over to kiss them each on the cheek. "Now go home and finish packing! I have to get back to work. Call me if you need anything."

They nodded, answering in unison.

"We will, Ma."

"Of course, Angela."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, this chapter might have been a bit boring, but I had to do a little exposition. Next chapter will be much more fun, I promise! Wedding time :-)<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

"You ready for this?" Frankie reached over to straighten his sister's collar.

"Are you kidding?" She said, a Rizzoli smirk crossing her face. "I was born ready."

Her brother rolled his eyes. "So you're nervous as hell?"

"Totally," she said, running a hand over her face. "I don't know why. I know she's not going to leave me hanging at the altar. I just, I mean, Frankie," she took in a deep breath. "I'm getting _married_."

"Yeah? I thought we were going to the prom." He ducked her incoming fist to his shoulder. "Come on, Janie, everything's going to go fine. Both Ma and Constance have been on Gloria all morning, and you know how Maura is. She'd never let anything _not_ be perfect. Just go out there and do your thing. What's the problem?"

"Well, I… _might_ have done something and not told Maura about it. Something she _might_ not approve of, but it'd really suck to try to change it now." She winced.

"Oh boy," he checked his watch. "We have thirty minutes. You want to tell me?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "Everyone's about to find out anyway."

* * *

><p>"Thirty minutes," Maura leaned closer to the vanity's mirror to double check her makeup. "I hope Jane's doing okay. She's been so nervous these past few days."<p>

"Well, darling, to be perfectly fair, it isn't everyday one gets married, and your detective tends to be tightly wound," Constance said, a gentle smile on her face. "You look lovely, and I do like the touch of the four leaf pendent. From where did it come?"

Maura's hand shot to the necklace around her neck. "It was a gift; something old." She gave her mother a nervous smile. "Have you seen Angela? She said she was going to check on the guests, but that was twenty minutes ago."

"Angela's such a social butterfly. I'm sure she's caught up in conversation with someone. I wouldn't worry," the elder Isle's eyes had never left the necklace. "When did Patrick come see you?"

Trying to hide her surprise and divert the conversation, Maura attempted to redirect. "I never said he had. You know," she smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in her dress, "perhaps it wasn't a good idea to send Carla out to find Angela. She is my Maid of Honor; I may have needed her for something prior to the ceremony, and she is just as social as Angela."

"They'll both be where they ought to be when the time comes," Constance answered with patience. "Maura, don't stall."

"I," at her mother's warning face, Maura caved in. "Two months ago. Jane and I were doing a late night inspection of our house, and he was there. He gave us a list of weak spots in the security system for our home, a recommendation of whom we could trust to fix those spots, this necklace which he said belonged to his mother, and," she paused, eyes finally meeting her mother's, "his blessing."

Constance reached forward to lay a finger on the small emerald clover. "Better his blessing than his disapproval, I suppose."

Maura frowned. "Jane said something similar. You're not upset that I'm wearing this?"

"No, in his own way and in the world from which he comes, he is a good man. He may be a part of the criminal element, but," with a shake of her head, Constance reset her line of thought. "Some things simply are, Maura. It is better to accept them with grace than reject them with ignorance."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and the Maid of Honor followed by Angela stepped in.

"Maura, I'm about to go sit down, but I wanted to come back in to give you a hug," the Rizzoli said with a smile. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thank you, Angela. You look lovely as well," the doctor gently replied as she turned to her own mother. "You should be seated as well, Mother."

"Of course, darling." Constance leaned forward to place a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "I love you and am very proud of you. You _do_ make a lovely bride. Now, try not to cry too much. Though it may claim waterproof, it isn't always so."

Maura chuckled. "Thank you, Mother. I'll take that into consideration."

* * *

><p>The ceremony was smooth and the vows heartfelt. As the minister came to the end to declare that they may kiss each other as the newly married couple they were, Jane leaned forward to whisper in Maura's ear, "What he's about to say isn't wrong. I made a few changes over the past couple of weeks."<p>

Before Maura could question, Jane turned them to face the audience. With a booming voice full of warmth and excitement, he proclaimed, "Friends and family, I present to you Missus and Missus Isles."

Only the years of social training prevent the surprise Maura felt to not show on her features despite the blush that suddenly reddened her cheeks. She glanced around to the faces of their guests, and noted the shock and surprise on each one. A smile beaming on her own face, she turned to Jane and kissed her again, "You could have told me."

"And spoil the surprise? Please! Come on, let's get out of here before Ma registers what just happened," Jane said as she began to walk them back down the aisle and to the safety of the room they would use to change in.

* * *

><p>"Detective Isles," Maura mused as they closed and locked the door behind them. "It has a nice ring to it."<p>

"I thought so. It's totally going to throw the press," Jane chuckled as she began peeling off her suit. "Speaking of, remind me to thank Cavanaugh for the coverage; he picked some great uniforms for the doors. I don't think I've seen a single reporter inside this place since we got here."

"We should send him and the off duty officers thank you gifts," Maura nodded as she stepped out of her dress to reveal the matching lingerie beneath. "You've handled the press coverage remarkably well."

"I've had good training," the dark haired brunette answered absently as her eyes raked over the view before her. "Brain stopped working."

Chuckling, Maura stepped into another white dress, covering up the distraction. "We'll be front page news tomorrow."

"Too bad we'll be out of the country by then," the detective answered before finishing up with her change of clothing.

"Jane," Maura stepped closer to her wife, placing a hand on the other woman's neck to force eye contact. "You really changed your last name to Isles?"

"Yeah," she nodded, a small smile on her face. "When we get back, my name plate will be different and I'll get a new set of IDs and a new badge. Lila in HR is helping me out. She's getting it all squared away for me while we're gone, said it was her wedding present to us." She shifted uncomfortably. "Is this okay?"

"I never thought you'd give up a part of your identity. It was unexpected but not unwelcomed." The doctor began gently rubbing Jane's neck. "Why did you do it?"

"I ask you to marry me," the detective began, clearly ready for this conversation, "but I wanted to be married to you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really treasure the idea of belonging to you, which probably sounds kind of weird. What I mean when I say that is that I like the idea of there being no question that I am your wife, and I wanted us to share a common last name. I recognized that I'm not attached to my last name. Regardless of what it is, I'll always be a blue collar Italian. But," she placed her hands on her wife's hips, pulling her closer, "I'm _very_ attached to you. I figured it's easier for me to change my name and everything associated with it than it is for you to change yours, and I like your name how it is anyway." she shrugged, "I took your name. So… _is _this okay?"

"If we didn't have fifty guests waiting for us right now," Maura purred, "I'd show you just exactly how okay I am with this." She kissed Jane, taking a moment to show possession and approval in the action before reluctantly pulling away. "We should go."

Jane smiled, the tension finally gone from her body. "Ma's going to have a fit."

"There's only one way to find out," Maura said as she pulled away and opened the door. "Shall we, Mrs. Isles?"

"Lead the way," the detective answered, a smirk on her face as they exited to head to the reception.

* * *

><p><strong>Bet you're wondering where Jane's taking Maura for their honeymoon, huh?<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

"Jane, we're going to Italy!" Maura squealed as she looked down at the flight itinerary. "This is so exciting. I love Rome. There's just so much to do, and," she stopped talking as glanced to her wife who was looking at her with an expression somewhere between smugness and humor. "What?"

"Of course you've been to Rome before," the dark haired brunette answered as they waited their turn to be checked over by TSA. "I figured as much, which is why I wanted to keep it a secret. I didn't want you helping. I've got everything planned. Trust me, you're going to love it." She dropped the contents of her pockets into the little dish to go through the conveyor belt and stepped through the metal detector. As she waited for both her things and her wife to pass through, she glanced around to the other people doing the same. Maura finally joined her, bags and items in hand. Jane took her load, and started talking again, "I've never been on a plane ride this long. I'm a little nervous."

"It will be fine. I see you purchased first class. It's very comfortable, and, if you get too nervous," the doctor stepped closer to her detective, "you can always hold my hand," she said with a wink and a smirk.

"I'll hold your hand anyway," Jane rolled her eyes. "I nearly had a heart attack when I saw how much those plane tickets were. My last used car didn't cost that much."

"Don't be silly, Jane. I really doubt that's true." Maura tugged Jane's arm to direct her to the correct terminal. "I think they're already boarding."

"Looks like it." The detective followed, pulling out her newly received passport. In preparation for the trip, the name change had happened weeks ahead of the wedding, and all of her identification and accounts had already been changed over. The trick now was remembering what name to use. She glanced down at the passport and smirked before handing it and the boarding pass over to the attendant at the gate.

"Jane Isles," the gentleman said as he read over everything. Satisfied, he handed the paperwork back. "Have a wonderful trip, Mrs. Isles."

The detective blushed a deep shade of red, mumbling her thanks to him as she waited for Maura. As they walked toward the plane through the loading dock, she turned to see the other woman smirking back at her. "What?"

Maura's smirk turned into a grin. "You're blushing."

"Am not," Jane shot back, the blush getting deeper by the moment.

"Yes, you are, and I think it's cute. Are you blushing because he called you Mrs. Isles?" The doctor's voice teased even as she wrapped an arm around her wife's.

With a sigh, the lanky brunette gave in, admitting, "It's going to take me a little bit to get used to it; that's all."

"Italy will be good for that. There, no one knows you were Jane Rizzoli," the doctor said before pausing so they could be seated. Once comfortably situated in first class, she continued her train of thought, "Though I'll never forget. I always liked how you sounded when you answered your phone."

"Yeah? _How_ much did you like it?" Dark brown eyes narrowed with mischief.

Maura leaned over, voice going quieter. "Let's just say it's not appropriate for public conversation."

"We'll save it for the hotel," Jane whispered, eyes falling to her wife's lips.

"Wise choice," the doctor nodded, pulling back to settle in for the long flight.

* * *

><p>"Hey, look whose back!" Frost's voice filled the bullpen as people turned to watch Jane stroll into the room. Tanner, relaxed, and eyes bright she handed over a cup of coffee to her partner before sitting down at her desk to start her computer.<p>

"What did I miss? Anything good?" She sipped her coffee and waited for her computer to boot.

"Homicides, suicides, and the occasional accidental," he shrugged. "You know, the usual."

"Nice," she rolled her eyes. "Really? 400 emails? This is insane. I'll be cleaning out my inbox for _days_."

He chuckled. "That's what you get for leaving. Where did you two go anyway?"

"Italy. We spent some time mucking around the coast." She set her coffee cup down and started going through her emails, newest to oldest. "Where's Korsak?"

"Doughnut run." Light teasing in his voice, he added, "Looks like you did a little doughnut running, too."

"Hey! I was on my _honeymoon_. I'm allowed to eat without guilt. Besides," she said at his doubtful look, "Maura insisted we workout. I think I might have actually lost some weight while we were gone."

"You are _so_ whipped," Frost said as he turned back to his computer screen.

Jane grunted. "You look at my wife and tell me you wouldn't be whipped if you were in my position."

"Okay," he conceded with a nod, "I'll give you that."

For a time, they sat quietly as they worked through their emails and paperwork. The morning peace was broken up as Korsak entered the room with a box of doughnuts in one hand and coffee cup in the other. "Hey," came his good natured welcome as he walked up to the other two detectives' desks, "Rizzoli, good to see you back."

"Isles," she corrected without looking up from her screen. "How many emails about cats did you send me, Korsak?"

"What?" He blinked, glancing to Frost for help but getting none.

"Emails about cats! I've got, like, a hundred in my inbox. Man, you have got to stop." She turned to her former partner. "The first step is to admit you have a problem."

"Hey, I was just sharing." He placed the box on Jane's desk. "But what did you say before that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I said 'Isles'. As in my last name isn't Rizzoli anymore."

Korsak shook his head. "That's going to take forever to get used to."

"You get a week. After that, I'm not answering to Rizzoli," she said as she popped the box opened and pulled out a maple glaze. "You forget my name, you can check my badge," she pointed the shiny new badge with her officer number and the name 'Isles' printed across the gold metal. At his bewildered look, she replied, "HR works in fast and mysterious ways."

"Right," he said, again glancing to Frost who was smiling but staying out of the conversation. "So, you look good. Where'd you go?"

"Coast of Italy," she answered around a mouthful of doughnut. "You should see Maura. She's so tan she almost looks like I do in the winter."

"Really? You two spend any time inside?" He chuckled, picking up a doughnut and heading to his desk.

"Not if we could help it," she answered with wry grin.


End file.
